Spotlight On: Jessie

By Jessie Gilligan

So, I was born in Juliette, raised in Fleming (a small community just south of Savannah), went to college and work in Savannah, and live in Richmond Hill — yes, ALL Georgia.

I have a B.S. in Chemistry from Armstrong State University, some graduate coursework in Design Management from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and a full-stack web developer certification from Georgia Tech.

I love to travel domestically and internationally, having been as far north as Alaska and as far south as Costa Rica (among other fun places). I have a wonderfully patient, intelligent, and loving husband, Colin, who is the father to our wildly smart and articulate 3-year-old daughter Caitlyn, who is a mass of curls, skirts, and superheroes. I like to ride horses, bikes, and golf carts (around the neighborhood, not on an actual golf course — though I wouldn’t decline an invite). I secretly love princesses, unicorns, sparkles, and dresses and live vicariously through Caitlyn. But I also love hiking, dirt, landscaping, running, and camping, mountains, beach, and really anything out of doors. I can sew, but not well — I’m really good at following directions.

How We Met

I came to Focus Lab after a good bit of living. After having worked a few great jobs, having slowly discovered all my hidden talents, and having completing my full-stack developer certification at Georgia Tech, I was blessed to join the Focus Lab family. I reached out to Erik during my coursework with a clever, flattering email.

To: erik

From: jessie

Subject: I like your style and I hope you like mine

After warming him up to the idea of hiring a novice, I was beside myself when he asked me to join the team. Transitioning from my current IT role where I’d been for the previous 5 years was certainly unsettling, but I am not one to resist new opportunities.

Happily Ever After

After the first day, that nervousness and fear diminished. After the second day, it was all but gone. The anxiety around new projects and new people and learning new things never goes away, but it is balanced by the feeling you get when you arrive at home: comfort, support, and love. Coming to Focus Lab is so far one of the highlights in my life.